The Cullens Are Gone? Jacob's POV
by flamanipulator
Summary: Same as Bella's version, except in Jacob's POV.
1. Chapter 1

If the Cullens never came back (from Jacob's view)

Picks up from page 375 of New Moon. Switches over to Jacob's view.

I killed the engine of her monster truck in front of the house, listening to the outside wind. The images of that day's events flashed through my head.

I threw my other arm around her. She was safe, and I was so happy about that. "Sorry. I know you don't feel exactly the way I do, Bells. I swear I don't mind. I'm just so glad that you're okay that I could sing -and that's something no one wants to hear." I laughed, imagining all the windows breaking as I sang.

Her breathing suddenly sped up, so I pressed my cheek into her hair, trying to help calm her. She froze, so I guessed I was wrong. I released her, reaching for the door. A blast of icy wind cooled off the cab as I got out, walking to her side.

"Bella?" I asked as we moved to the front door. What was I doing? I knew she didn't' want me, but I couldn't stop myself. "Can I come in for a bit?" Oh well, it was over. She just stared for a minute, probably wondering why I would ask. "Sure." she replied casually, stepping through the door.

I sat on the couch while she went to make dinner. _Okay._ I told myself. _I am in this, now how do I do it?_ I was already started, I didn't want to back out now.

_She'll probably reject me though. It would be fair. I shouldn't make her choose right now, not after today._ I thought, but my mind had already wandered ahead to how I would ask. She came back almost before I finished my plan. I got up, taking a deep breath…

And chickened out. "I guess I had better go. Charlie will be home soon." I added quickly, not wanting to seem rude. She wrapped her arms around my waist, so I let my hand move to her hair. "Bella," I said, unsure of myself. I pulled her back a small bit to look into her eyes. "Bella." I whispered it this time. I released one of her shoulders to trace a line along her jaw. This was it. I hadn't meant to, but now I was forcing her to choose. If she didn't pick me, I would be okay. Outside. She would not see the shreds she left, behind.

I put her face between my hands, letting it rest there, but also trapping it. "Bella," I muttered one more time, my pulse speeding up. I was glad she could not hear it. I leaned forward slowly, her eyes wide, undecided. I paused, our faces an inch apart, waiting for her to speak. _No, _she would say. _I can't Jacob, not now._ She would try to soften the blow. It would still hurt, but I wouldn't give up. I could be patient.

She surprised me by closing that last inch. I pulled back just a single millimeter, keeping it soft. It didn't last long. I pulled away, my mission complete. She had chosen me. I could not help beaming at her. She smiled her lovely smile back at me. _She is so beautiful._ I thought fondly.

Charlie's cruiser ruined the moment. "I really should be going." I said, my voice still wasn't working right, so it came out very quiet. I hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go. Unable to help myself, I kissed her quickly again. "Come by tomorrow." I said, elated. I opened the door quietly, looking back at her. At her weak nod, I sprinted off into the trees.

I didn't bother shifting, just wanting to run for longer. The joy I had felt with Bella now raged, untempered, through my whole body. _She said yes! _I exulted quietly. I was grinning from ear to ear, replaying the wondrous scene in my head, over and over again, until I got home.

I managed to school the expression, but I was still bouncing as I walked, when I got inside. I grabbed a quick bite to eat, saying hi to Billy, and went straight to my room. As I lied down, I couldn't help thinking about the future. We were both finally on the same wavelength for once. I would keep things normal, however, like before the kiss. I fell asleep to these thoughts, anxious for the night to end.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 19

_Why does everyone say the wrong thing_

_at the wrong time?_

I managed to keep things completely normal for two months after that first kiss. Then the Spring Dance came around.

We were in my garage, deciding what to do on that day. We knew she would be in La Push, but we hadn't moved past there. _No, it can't be a normal day, it's the Spring Dance._ I had said. It was supposed to be a fun, not-normal day.

"How about this," she began, breaking the silence. "We spend that whole Saturday normally, then when it's time for the dance, we go see a movie, or something like that?" The first part would be boring though. _I guess it would be okay, _I thought. After all, I would be spending time with Bella, and that would make watching paint dry look fun.

"Actually, I was thinking that we could go cliff diving, or something else that is fun." I was mostly joking about the cliffs. There was no way she would go for that, so I continued, mocking her now. "I would be there, so you wouldn't almost die this time." I was smiling at this point. Her face assured my prediction about the cliffs.

"I don't think so. I've had my fill of jumping off cliffs for one lifetime, thank you." her face changing from indignation to thoughtfulness as she continued. "Well, we could go to Seattle. I've been needing -"

"No." I cut in immediately. What was her problem? Did she want to get herself killed? "No Seattle. Haven't you been reading the news?" I wondered aloud. Obviously not. "Why not?" she wondered, confusion covering her face.

"The murders, Bella. The body count is up to forty now. This thing isn't human, or even several humans."

She didn't move. "Okay, no Seattle." she said, her voice numb. _Uh oh. _I had made her worry. Putting my right hand on her cheek, I pulled her to look at my face. "Bella, don't worry about them." I told her firmly, trying to erase her fear. "You have a huge pack of werewolves here to protect you." she was still blank as she spoke though. "It's not that. It's just, I haven't even thought about vampires or anything for nearly two weeks now. It just caught me off guard." she finished, coming back to life.

I pulled her into a light hug. "Good." I said softly. "So I didn't break my promise?" I was a bit worried that I had hurt her again, even in the smallest way. "What promise?" she asked , confused again. Relief. I was in the clear. The one where I said I wouldn't' hurt you anymore? I didn't break it just now, did I?" I kept my voice low, her ear right next to my lips.

"No, you're fine." she said. Even knowing beforehand, it was still good to hear her say it. "Thanks." I whispered as I pulled her back from me. I bent in to kiss her quickly, being very gentle.

As I pulled her back, she pressed her hand against mine, keeping it on her cheek. She looked down at her watch and sighed as she leaned into me. "I guess I should get going. Charlie will be home soon." she said sadly, stealing my lines from so long ago. It reminded me of an echo; the first time, our first kiss, then the rebound in reverse order or events.

As we left the garage, a cold gust whipped around us, causing her to shiver. Putting my arms around her to keep her warm, I asked, "You'll come back tomorrow, right?" already knowing the answer. I just liked the sound of her voice. "Yes, right after work." she answered. _Score! I win again._

When we got to the truck, the wind shifted, blowing a sweet, icy scent at me and burning my nose. "HOLY CRAP!" I shouted. _How did it get so close?_ I wondered as I explained, "Vampire. Stay behind me." still yelling. I put her against the truck and jumped back, already quivering. I exploded out, catching myself in a bigger form.

I snarled at the trees as a white figure ghosted away. I started after it, but remembered Bella. The scent was burning even worse now, messing with my head. I stopped whipping my head around, deciding on Bella.

I pointed at the road with my paw, trying to tell her that we were going. I lied down on my stomach, waiting. She just stared. _Man, she does that a lot. _I thought. I whined and shifted, trying to get her to hurry. "Do you want me to ride you?" she asked, her eyes wide. Nodding, I shifted closer. _Why couldn't she hurry?_ Finally, she sat down on my spine. That must have hurt. I lifted up my butt, sliding her down between my shoulders.

Her arms wrapped around my neck as I stood up. I bolted, too concerned to take any pleasure at the fact that she was hugging me with as much of her as was possible. Then she turned her face into my neck. Probably smart; I didn't want her to get sick.

I stopped at the edge of her yard and she slid off weakly. She turned around to hug me again, whispering, "Will you come in? I don't want to be alone." This time, I did enjoy it. If only I could come in. I looked behind me and shook my butt to tell her why I couldn't. She blushed, making me smile. "Oh, yeah. You'll be close though, right?" the worry had returned to her voice. I nodded, then pointed in either direction. "Okay." she said, hugging me again. She ran inside after shivering once. I turned and sprinted along the edge of the forest, checking for any abnormal scents.

I slowed down after finding nothing. I began listening to Charlie as I ran, growing bored. "Well, that's great Bells! I mean, he's a good kid, and he seems much better for you than Edward was." Uh oh. I nearly tripped as those words reached my ears. As it was, I crashed into a large tree, luckily for it, not going too fast. _How could he be so insensitive? I would rip his throat out- _I stopped, realizing what I was thinking.

Thankfully, I felt Embry phase, his mind joining mine. _Hey Jake_. He thought at me._ Why are you a wolf?_ I ran through everything that had happened, stopping as we got to Bella's house. _Tell Sam._ I thought. _I have to go._ I had just heard Bella call me, and a light thud as something soft hit the ground.

I ran to the tree, near her room, finding a pair of shorts laying near it. Shifting back, I put them on a climbed up the tree.

I landed and immediately moved to her crumpled form. It looked like she had barely made it to the bed. I pulled her up into chest, wrapping my arms tightly around her. I didn't say anything as she cried, just sat there as the tears rolling down my stomach slowed. "I'm sorry Jacob." she said, her voice trembling. "I shouldn't have called you. You must be wondering why-" she crumpled again as another sob erupted. "Sshh. It's okay, Bella." I told her gently, stroking her hair. "I heard everything, and I understand completely." I hugged even tighter, her shaking slowing to a crawl. "Thanks, Jake. You don't know how glad I am to have you here." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

We sat that way for close to twenty minutes, her shaking and tears stopping altogether. "Are you okay now?" I asked, hoping she wasn't hurting too much now.

"Yeah, I feel better. Thanks again, Jake." she wrapped her arms around my waist, my heartbeat picking up an extra step. I would probably kick myself for this, but I was unable to help myself.

I kissed her head and whispered, "I love you, Bella." This wasn't the time for that! Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut? "I love you too, Jake." she aid after a pause. _What?_ I was shocked. My arms shook as I pulled her away to see her face. I jerked forward, just stopping myself an inch away from her. I looked up at her. I could feel my eyes sparkling as I took in her smile, her brown eyes, for half a second. I jerked forward, meeting her lips much harder than intended. I couldn't' have been careful if I had wanted to, and she didn't want me to. Her lips moved with mine, just as hard. I was flying. Bella had never kissed me like this before. I wondered if joy could make me shift? I hoped not. I slowed down, just in case.

I loosened my grip, our lips moving slower, I pulled back ever so slightly, making my lips softer on hers. Instead of rocketing through the air, I was gliding through the clouds.

I pulled back slowly, the light fading from my eyes as I touched down to earth. "I should go back outside. Wouldn't want any vampires getting through." I said sadly. I didn't want to leave her side. "Don't worry, I'll be close." I promised as I rose to the window. I stepped out the window, turning around to kiss her gently one more time. "I love you." I muttered.

"I love you too." she replied.

"Leave the window open for a sec, I'll throw these back up." I said, tugging on the shorts lightly. _Man, these are big around._ I thought. They were too short though, only covering half of my thigh. _Good thing it's dark, or I would look ridiculous. _I jumped down and pulled the shorts off quickly, throwing them up through the window. I jumped forward and shifted, already running. The night was empty, so I was free to think back on tonight. I sped through the beginning, and slowed down once I was in her room. I went through it all , lingering on the kiss, flying again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 20

Why can't the stupid bloodsuckers leave us alone?

The next morning, I woke up to a loud crash and Billy's angry cursing. I jumped out of bed and flew to the kitchen, ready to phase. "Dad? What is it?" I yelled, jumping around the corner. I saw a mess of egg and frying pan on the floor, Billy still looking for paper towels.

"Now, Jake, if you plan on being in public, you might want to wear pants." he said as I collapsed to the floor, dead tired. I had returned late last night, not even bother to put something on before crashing. Even though he was my dad, it was embarrassing. I came back to the table to eat after getting ready for school. "So, Jake," Billy started, a mouthful of eggs being chewed. "Tonight we're having a fireside for Seth and Leah. Maybe you could invite Bella?" he suggested. That would give us something to do tonight. Good thing it was Friday…

Bella finally arrived two hours after school, all my homework finished, chores done. I waltzed over to her truck, a huge grin breaking my face. I pulled her out in a big bear-hug, and asked, "Hey, Bells, did you miss me?" although I knew the answer from her returned smile. She feigned hurt at my ignorance. "Of _course_ I did, stupid! How could I not, with a revenge-seeking vampire looking for me?" she added more quietly. "So," she laughed as we went into the house, "What are we doing today?"

"Well," I began as I put my arms around her. "I wanted to know if you could come over around eight-ish? We are all having a fireside tonight for the new werewolves." I said, standing in front of her. Her face was thoughtful as she spoke; "Sure, but I'll have to go home first, get Charlie dinner."

As soon as she mentioned dinner, my stomach rumbled lightly. Anything Bella made had to be good. "Mmmmmm. Do you mind if I eat with you?" I asked, breaking her daydream. "There will be food at the beach, but I want some good food. Trust me, I won't eat much. I just want a great appetizer before the main course." I finished, smiling. My voice sounded hypnotized, enticed as I was by the thought of Bella's cooking.

We left around six-thirty and Bella cooked while I talked to Charlie.

"So, you and Bella are an item now, huh?" he asked. We were? I stared at her, overjoyed that it was official. Was this what had brought up the leech last night? I could live with that.

"Now, don't get me wrong, but Bella spent so much time with you, Jake, I thought I would need a restraining order." he said. I was laughing when Bella announced dinner. I sprinted to a chair, excited for whatever she had made.

I heard Charlie moan, "I'm getting old." as he got out of his seat. Bella, putting a roll with cheese all over the top, an enchilada, in font of me, snapped up my attention. I took a big whiff; _cheese, chicken, onion, peppers, tomato and flower tortillas._ I listed off each smell in my head. I didn't bother with a fork. I just grabbed it and ate it like a normal burrito, finishing the morsel in four bites. I enjoyed the aftertaste waiting for her to finish.

It was seven-thirty when she ate the last bite, and I was hungry again. _She takes so long to eat!_ I thought, my stomach roaring. We left immediately, excited for the stories Billy would tell. But then, Bella had no idea of what to expect.

I laughed quietly as I moved to the forest, t-shirt already in hand. I heard Bella stop near the truck, so I turned around and said, "Wait there." turning again to sprint to the darkness. I nearly jumped out of my shorts, not wanting Bella to be alone.

I was changed in record time, loping back to her before she had even put the keys away. "We're not driving tonight." she said matter-of-factly. That made me laugh. As I knelt down for her, I thought about how ridiculous it was; how could she still want to drive that heap she calls a car, after flying through the forest so much faster?

She grabbed my neck, as I moved forward, so hard it would have choked a person. Well, a normal person. She didn't say anything, when I broke into a sprint, just buried her face deep into my fur. This felt nice; her arms locked around my neck, face in my shoulder, comfortable. It must have been easier for her to touch me like this when I was a wolf. I wondered why that was? She rarely had to clutch her arms to her chest, remembering _them_. When she did, she had no problems with closeness, actually inching closer when I didn't crush her to me. On a normal day, however, she became fidgety when I did more than just r est my arms around her. I didn't mind that, it just confused me. _Girls are weird. _I thought, immediately amending it. _No, Bella is weird. The other girlfriends I__'__ve had loved close. Oh well, to each her own._ I thought as we approached the beach.

Everyone turned to look at us when we arrived, obviously somewhat surprised. Bella slid down as Quil said, "Alright, we're all here, let's start!" I woofed quietly, looking at Bella, then trotted back into the forest to change. Quil obviously had forgotten that Bella wasn't exactly like us. Normally, I would have just changed right there, dressing in front of everyone. Leah and Emily would be the only ones to mind, and they could just look away.

I made my way back to Bella's log, sitting beside her. Everyone had already started eating, getting all the good hot-dog-roasting sticks. I grabbed a leftover and began my not-as-good-as-enchiladas-but-still-pretty-freakin'-good main course.

After my eleventh hot dog, Bella leaned against me, eyes starting at each person. _Ha. _I thought. _She has never seen anyone eat so much, I bet. _I stopped at thirteen hot dogs, though I normally ate close to sixteen. That enchilada was much more filling than a single hot dog.

I put my arm on her shoulder, and everyone became more quiet, getting ready for the stories. "Is it over?" Bella asked.

"No way! We haven't even come to the good part!" I said, probably a little too loud for the building atmosphere. "Do you swallow a cow?" she asked, her voice small, embarrassed. I nearly exploded. "No," I answered, managing to keep myself at a quiet chuckle. "No, Billy is going to tell the old Spirit Warrior legends." I told her, giving Billy a small introduction. "They are more interesting, now that we know that they're true."

Billy picked up from there, capturing everyone's attention. His voice was a low rumble as he spoke of the ancient chiefs, the fire giving his face a magical, blue-green glow.

I felt it when the stories affected Bella. She pressed more firmly into my side, so I wrapped my other arm across her, binding her tightly. She relaxed once I was trapping her, her hands the only part tense. They squeezed between our bodies, cold, tight fists, but they too loosened with my warmth.

This, too, felt good. I could help ease Bella's pain, even if I were part of the cause. Then, there was the added benefit of her healing method, cringing against me as hard as she could. Her breathing slowed, and I listened more to the story, no longer worrying about her pain.

The fire had died down when she awoke, most people already gone. "You fell asleep. You didn't even see the grand finale where I ate a cow." I said, teasing her. I helped her sit normally as she asked what time it was. "it's almost midnight." I told her. "I should probably get you home. Wait here, I'll be right back." I said, leaving the circle.

I raced against my previous time, trying to get back even faster. It was a good thing, because Bella had begun staring off into space before I came back. She all but jumped onto me as I approached the log, burying her face into my fur right away.

As I ran, I thought about what could cause Bella to act like that. Could it have been the stories? I mean, sure, there were vampires, but they had been evil. I couldn't' see much difference, in fact I always pictured the blonde Cullen when I heard that story, but Bella could, couldn't she? Or maybe she was worried about the other one, Victoria, was it? Maybe she thought we would get hurt if we fought her, like the wolves in the story?

My time for thought ran out as we entered Bella's forest. As she slid off, I head-butted her shoulder to leave. "Wait." I stopped. "Change here. I won't look. It's just too quiet right now." she said, turning way from me.

_Whoa. Something must really be eating her._ I thought. She wanted me to change _right here? Well, okay__…_ I thought, rising on my back legs to be human. It was uncomfortable, standing here, so I put my shorts on as fast as I had taken them off.

Once they were on, I put my arms around her and whispered, "Are you okay?" in her ear. "I'm fine." she said, but I heard the lie. I pulled her to a stop as I turned her to face me. "It was the stories, wasn't it." I stated glumly. I ducked my face down to her level. _Why did I drag her with me tonight?_ I thought miserably. "They reminded you of them, even though these were evil." I was so stupid! How could I not see that that would happen? "Don't worry about it, Jake. I'm okay." she said as she hugged my waist. "I had fun." she went on. "The memories weren't all that bad, not with you right there." I barely heard her, kicking myself for telling her our insensitive stories. Why couldn't I be content with a normal day?

"Can you come inside?" she asked when I stayed silent. This time I heard. "I want you around, at least until I'm unconscious. It's cold tonight." I smiled, getting over my self-punishment. "Sure, sure." I said as we turned to go inside.

She left me on her bed as she left, carrying a small bag that smelled like a lot of soap. I guessed it had all her bathroom stuff in it, then I heard the shower turn on. _She__'__s taking a shower? I don__'__t have all night!_ I thought. _Wait, yes I do. _I remedied. I didn't want to wait that long though. I began imagining things. I was curious about what she looked like. What would it be like if she… _Stop it! _I shouted at myself. I wiped away all of those thoughts. I didn't want Bella to think I was a pig. How could I want that though, if I was thinking things that would make me a pig?

I heard the shower turn off. _Only a few more minutes. _I thought impatiently. I distracted myself with other thoughts to pass the time.

It wasn't a few minutes. Nearly half an hour had passed, since the water turned off, when she walked through the door. She was wearing faded pink pajamas, they looked like silk. _Why does she have silk pajamas? And pink? _I had never thought that she would wear pink.

She slid under the blanket and curled up into a little ball. I lied down next to her and pulled her into my chest. "You can go after I'm asleep. You look tired." I looked tired? I felt wide awake. Besides, I wasn't going to just go home, not with a vampire or two looking for her. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said when her eyes closed. I kissed her forehead softly and muttered, "Night." her breathing falling into a slower, deeper pattern.

I carefully got off the bed and found her alarm clock and turned it off. I didn't' want her waking up too early, it was already close to one in the morning.

Slipping out the window, I quietly shut it behind me. I then jumped out with my hands in front of me, shifting in mid-air. I landed two bounds away from the woods, launching into them.

Barely an hour of circling and searching had passed when I heard Embry and Quil join me. _Go get some sleep. _Embry thought at me.

_Yeah, you seem beat. _Quil agreed. _Don__'__t worry, we__'__ll both take over her house for you._

_Yeah, go sleep. You can__'__t last forever._

They had already changed in my direction as they thought. I waited until they were within earshot, then sprinted off home. I couldn't help taking a winding path, searching for any new vampire trails. I found none.

I woke the next morning as the sun was rising. There were clouds directly overhead, as always, but not on the horizon. I took a walk down First Beach, waking up fully. The sun sparkled on the water, like millions of diamonds. _Diamonds. Vampires. The dream last night;_

_I walked through the forest, roving aimlessly. I hear voices. I look around a tree, and see a girl with brown hair. Bella. There is a guy with her, his skin glittering in the light. A vampire. I tremble, trying to shift, but nothing happens. His face becomes black, razor teeth flashing. His blood-red eyes glare at Bella, unaware of the monster in front of her. Its deformed claws reach towards her, but stop. It sprints away from her suddenly, vanishing abruptly. Bella crumples to the ground, shaking. Why is she crying? I try to shout, unable to move. Someone help her! I try, but my mouth won__'__t work. The trembling worsens, and now things are sideways, dirt pressing on my face. The trees close around Bella, cutting her off from me. Sounds fad, meaning fades. Everything is black._

I shook off the memory of the nightmare. It wasn't ever real. Real vampires aren't black ooze, no matter how slimy or evil they are.

I began to wonder what really happened that night. What did he say to her? Did he hurt her physically? No, or else Sam would have torn him apart; too bad. Why did he go? I doubted that Bella would know that answer.

I had just arrived home when the phone rang. I jumped to answer it; _It could be Bella._ "Hello?" I said quickly, hoping. _What a stupid thing to hope for!_ I thought. I would see her later anyway. Why would I want her to call me this badly?

"Jake?" I heard her voice on the other line. "did you get some sleep?" she asked. _I__'__d better not let her hear how irrationally happy I am to hear her. _So I acted a little confused. "Bella? Hey! How are you? Yeah, you conked out pretty quick, and Quil and Embry took over for me around an hour later." I let some regret slip into my voice at the end. She was fine, so nothing to worry about, but I was still unhappy that I had left her to go sleep.

"Can I come down?" she asked, interrupting my remorse for leaving. _Yes!_ I thought. _Now I can ask her about them!_

"Sure, sure. Let's just talk today though, okay?" _Wait. _I thought, my brain catching up. _If I talk about the Cullens, it will hurt her. Ugh. Why do I have to be so stupid?_ She was probably already on her way down. I would have to find a way to make it not hurt, because there was no way she would let me not ask, now that she knew something was up.

I scarfed down a quick breakfast and ran to stand by the door. I heard her truck wheezing along before I could see it. _Wow. _I thought, shaking my head. _That thing doesn__'__t need a makeover, it needs a burial._

I started down the driveway as she got out of the car. "Hey, Jake." she said, smiling, as I hugged her. _Ugh. Let__'__s do this. _I thought glumly. "Let's walk." I said, starting down the beach with Bella in tow.

I thought about how I would say this. There was no way to avoid her feeling hurt, but it was too late now. I couldn't' lie to Bella, neither did I want to. _If only I hadn__'__t brought it up__…_ I grumbled to myself. The walk wasn't long enough.

We got to our log, and sat as she said, "So, what's up?" _Ugh. Here it goes__…_

"Okay. Now, if you don't want to talk about this, don't." I started. _No turning back now. _"I was just thinking about it, and a few months ago, you had said maybe under other circumstances. So, I am lamely curious again…" I couldn't say the rest. I knew she would make me, but I was stalling.

"Just spit it out, Jacob." she said, her voice filled with annoyance.

"Fine. I've been wanting to know about the… Cullens. What was it like for you when they left?" It all poured out in a rush. "I'd been wondering since Charlie brought it up, and your face was a dim echo of when they first left." I looked at her, staring at the ground, and added, "If it hurts too much, just say so."

Her arms curled around her chest, holding herself together. _Uh oh._ "Bella?" I asked. It may have been to late to stop the pain, but I didn't want it to continue. "Bella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No, just wait a minute." she interrupted. Bella remained silent for several seconds, sitting there, motionless.

She finally spoke. "Okay. When…Edward, left, I felt like my world had died."

"Bella," I started. "We don't have to-"

"Yes, we do." she cut in again. She still looked in pain, despite her unmoving expression. I put my hand on her shoulder and inched closer as she went on.

"I remember those first few nights very clearly. It was horrible. I wouldn't eat much, I did nothing active. No housework, no schoolwork. Every night I would wake up screaming, Charlie bursting into my room." She pulled into me, laying against me entirely. I put my arms around her, hoping to help in any way I could.

_I wanted to know. Ha. _I thought morbidly. _Well, now I know. _I brought my attention back as Bella began speaking again.

"After that, Everything is black. I had shut down entirely. I felt nothing, empty. The house became spotless, I got perfect grades, but I was dead. It didn't help me sleep though. I still woke up screaming every night." Her voice was thick now, whether from pain or sorrow or both, I couldn't tell.

"I can't remember any specific details. Only a very vague general picture." she shuddered again. I was causing so much pain. I hugged her tighter, trying to take some of her pain away. "When I woke up, as I call my first real memory after that dark time, I was shocked at the state my life was in. All of my friends had left me, Charlie was threatening to send me off to live with Renée.

"I went to a movie with Jessica that night, which was probably really dumb. On our way to dinner, I saw four men."

Bella was trembling continuously at this point. She was coming apart at the seams, as if my arms were the only thing keeping her together. I instinctively clutched her tighter against my chest, attempting to still her shaking."The first time I went to Port Angeles," she continued, "four men almost… hurt me. Edward saved me for the second time then." This fact barely registered in my head. Now I was trembling lightly as well, but form anger at the four men. I pulled my thoughts away from them, afraid I might shift with Bella this close.

"-Saw with Jessica reminded me of them." She had already started again while my anger settled. "I don't know why, but I walked towards them. As I got closer, one called out to me. I felt Jessica pull at me, but I ignored her. Then," she hesitated. This part was going to get sensitive. I shifted slightly, affirming that I was still holding her to me. She spoke again, "I heard _him_. I heard Edward's voice inside my head, ordering me to stop. I took another step, and he got mad." I was trembling again. _Stupid vampire. He has to turn up, even if he isn__'__t there! _I thought angrily. It was strange to be jealous, here, with Bella in my arms, and her stupid vampire somewhere far away.

Her voice cracked as she began again, "It was so good to hear him, it was like he was there. I walked forward, his voice getting angrier with each step, until the men just stared at my dead face, all interest gone.

"Edward left too. I quickly apologized to them and left. I imagine Jessica must have been terrified.

"I spent all week trying to hear him again. It was then that I got the bikes. I took them to you, knowing you would fix them just as well, for much less, than a regular mechanic.

"I can't imagine how I looked that first day." she paused. I was still trembling slightly, this time because I was sad. "You were hideous." I said, remembering all the way back to then. She wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me as tightly as she could. We were pressed so tight now that she had stopped shaking; It wouldn't' have been possible for her to shake.

"So you started fixing the bikes, and I started realizing that I was feeling better. That first night, I didn't wake once. I went back more often, wanting to feel happy more.

"then it was time to ride them. I heard Edward's voice again, and it was just like before. But then, as I started getting better at riding, it faded until he didn't speak about the bikes anymore.

"then we went to the movie with mike, and everything changed, again. When I finally saw you again, and you told me that we couldn't be friends anymore, it broke me again.

"When I went home, I scared Charlie, because my face was probably empty. When Edward left, it was like I was a moon, whose planet had been lost. I was just floating, ignoring gravity. When you told me that, it was like my sun had left, leaving me cold as well." I was crying. In this part of the story, it was my fault that she was in pain. My face was buried in her hair as I trembled, holding her tightly. "It's okay, Jacob." she said, patting my ribs. "The worst is over. Now things get better." I lifted my head from her hair, slow tears escaping from my swollen eyes. "I am so sorry I made you say all of that." I choked out. Her face changed, and she told me, "No, don't be." very firmly. "It was good that you did.

"Jacob, before now, I was still damaged." she said at the doubting look on my face. "I had been healing wrong from the very beginning. Doing this today removed all the bad stitches, and now I can heal the right way." I was bawling now. It was stupid though, as I wasn't even too sad anymore. Just…overwhelmed. "I love you." I whispered, burying my face in her hair again.

Her voice was confused as she asked, "Why are you crying, Jake? It's not like it was such a sob story."

I answered her, still squeezing her to me, "Part of it, is that I feel like a schlopp for making you tell me those things." My eyes had dried up now, so I could speak more clearly. "The second is, that as you were talking, I was remembering everything that had happened. Realizing just how far we've come since then, it just pushed me over the edge." I finished, my voice still just above a whisper.

I thought back on everything she just told me, over and over again. The silence was broken by my stomach as I realized what time it was. Bella's stomach echoed mine, so I knew it wasn't just me. "I guess we should go." I said, pulling us up.

I didn't let go of her as we walked up the beach. Most of it, was that this was comfortable, and I didn't want to lose that feeling for a second. The other reason, was that she would start shaking if I loosened my grip. _She must still be agonizing over it. _I thought once.

We passed through the rest of the day watching TV, Bella curled up under my arm. In this position, I could only focus on Bella. The game passed in a blur.

At six 'o' clock, I drove her home, our position in the car only altered slightly, her feet on the floor rather than under her.

I killed the engine in her driveway, opening the door slowly. _No need to rush. _I thought. _Charlie is- _The smell blew into the car with the wind. The icy burning weakened by age.

I turned rigidly to Bella. "A vampire has been here today." I growled. I hoped I wasn't scaring her. I couldn't stop myself. "It was that same one we saw last time, near the forest." I pulled us out of the car and walked to the door slowly. "I'm going to come in for a while, okay?" I said. There was no need for the permission, it was merely polite. I would have gone in regardless.

I followed the scent up to her room, where it grew stronger. _It was digging through her stuff._ I snarled in my head, my nose wrinkling in disgust.

Bella's gasp startled me back to her. "Where's Charlie?" she whispered, terror painting her face. "Sue picked him up this morning, along with Billy." I said, squeezing her arms lightly. _At least it was just this. _I thought gratefully. "Don't worry, he's fine."

"Man, he's been all over here." I growled, turning my attention back to the vampire. "It looks like he tidied up a bit." Bella chuckled grimly. Then her heart erupted. Its speed increased so fast I thought it might explode. "What is it, Bells?" Something had to have frightened her terribly. Her voice shook as she answered, "Jake, he wasn't cleaning up here. Jake, he was collecting." I gasped. _No!_ I roared silently. I began quivering involuntarily for the first time in months. It shocked me so much, the sudden immobility. I stood frozen as Bella spoke, unable to move.

She touched my arm, and that broke me out of it. I swept her up in my arms and flew through the house. I set her down near the woods, jumped back a few feet, and exploded. This time, I was in control. My shorts and shoes shredded as I grew, becoming too big.

Bella jumped on mechanically, and I flew into the forest. Embry appeared in my head. _What-_ he started. I shoved the whole scene at him, then where I was headed, in half a second. _Get everyone. _I ordered. He left almost immediately.

Seth came first. _Leah told me what happened, and I shifted right away. _he thought, taking my destination for his own. Sam and Paul followed, joined by the remainder within seconds, Embry the last to join.

I told them everything in the last few seconds it took to get to our meeting place; a clearing far enough into the mountains that no human would find us.

We were already strategizing and discussing before everyone was in the clearing. _What does this mean?_ Sam questioned aimlessly.

_Why would these two vampires need to take Bella__'__s stuff? _Seth asked, concerned and confused. _Maybe they__'__re trying to find a way around us by using her scent. _Leah suggested._ Yes. _Sam replied. _With all of those clothes, it would be simple to make a false trail to lead us away from Bella._

Almost as if on cue, Bella shuddered, cringing into my back. Turning to look at her, I thought, _Leah, change back and find out what is wrong._

_Why me?_ she replied.

_You__'__re a girl._ Seth answered for me. Resigned, she changed back, all eyes looking away. "What is it, Bella? She asked softly. Good. Bella was scared enough as it was.

"Well, I was thinking," she began quietly, still shivering at her train of thought. "The vampires stole around ten items altogether. Knowing how good their smell is, that wasn't necessary, especially if it was just two. That leads me to think that there are more than just two, more than ten. I think we're going to have a vampire army coming at us." she finished in a terrified whisper. Just as we could consider this, the wind shifted, attacking us with a sickly sweet scent. _Vampire!_ all thought voices shouted. Snarls and barks broke out everywhere. _Why would it come here? _

_Does it have a death wish?_

_I__'__ll oblige._

_Me too._

"Peace!" a tinkly crystal voice called out. _Silence._ Sam ordered.

"We bring you no harm." Sam's order kept up silent, but we were all bristling and baring our teeth at the sound. "Show yourself!" Leah shouted before shifting quickly.

We were all suddenly very calm, not one of us felt the need to bare out teeth anymore. A small bloodsucker stepped out from behind a tree, her golden eyes glinting in the evening sun. _It__'__s a Cullen!_ someone shouted. Another leech stepped out behind her, his eyes gold as well.

"Alice!" Bella cried out, starting to slide off my shoulders. The small on then glared so fiercely we all growled despite the increasing level of calm. Bella froze in place, so I shrugged her back into my shoulders.

"We come alone," she said each word as if stabbing Bella with it. I wanted to be angry, but the calm was like a blanket, blocking all other emotions.

"To warn you of the newborn invasion." the small one went on. _Newborns?_ Seth asked. _Hush._ several voices replied. "There are roughly twenty newborn vampires, and two mature ones, heading your way. If you follow us now, we will take you to where they will arrive in two weeks time." Alice, as Bella called her, sprinted away, immediately followed by the other one.

We all chased them, easily catching up. _This could be a trap. _Sam thought warily. Paul's reply was cocky. _Even if all six of __'__em are back, we can take them._

_Be careful, regardless. _Sam thought back.

She stopped at a large clearing with several large boulders gathered together. No other vampires were nearby.

"We will not remain here," she spoke again, her voice biting off each word. Her voice no longer reminded me of a bell, but glass being broken repeatedly. "We came only to warn you, making sure that you were not unprepared to protect Bella.

"Jasper and I will demonstrate the most effective way to dispose of newborns, hoping to increase any chance you have against them."

Jasper lunged at her then, the demonstration beginning. They continued for several hours, each one filled with different methods of defense or attack. We discussed each one as a pack, adapting it to our style of fighting.

"We will return to our family now." Alice declared. "We trust that you will deal with this." she broke each word again, glaring at Bella.

Then they were gone, racing into the night. Al thoughts broke out at once.

_That was__…_

_Interesting. I_

_Who is conf-_

_What was-_

I lost track of who said what. Bella lied against my neck. _Time for bed._ I thought loudly, yelping once to get attention. I then turned around, racing to Bella's house.

When we arrived, I waited for her to slide off. She didn't. I heard her quiet breathing, but she twitched in a restless sleep. _Ugh._ I thought to myself. I stayed on all fours as I shifted, keeping her balanced on my back. I carefully pulled my shorts on, staying hunched over to keep her horizontal.

She woke up when we got to the door.

In her room, she didn't even bother changing into her pajamas. She trembled as she remembered tonight's events. "It'll be okay, Bella. We're going to take care of this. Don't worry." I repeated softly until her breathing grew deeper. I lied down on the bed slowly, carefully setting Bella's heard against the pillow instead of my chest. Kissing her forehead gently, I left her room to rejoin the others as a wolf.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 21

The Worst Best Thing That Could Happen is to Not Die.

The two weeks we had passed by in a blur. School was out for the summer in La Push, so most of the time was spent discussing various plans for the attack.

In the end, we were going to split them into two groups. Using Bella's scent as bait, we were making two trails for them to follow.

Bella finished the first path without any problems. Then, on the second path, she fell. I started laughing, but then I smelled the blood. "Are you okay?" I asked, humor marring the concern.

"Yeah, and I have an idea." she said, slowly flexing her injured hand. "Let's make this trail longer, allowing the others to finish off their group, then arrive as backup, hopefully before this group even arrives!" she said as she wiped her bloody hand over everything in her path. "That's a great idea, Bells!" I said, nearly yelling. I had even forgotten that she was infecting the cut, for the moment, I was so awed. "Then we can reinforce the first group so they can finish even quicker!" The trail became much longer. It would take us at least five minutes to run it as wolves, whereas the other trail would take less that a minute.

We discussed the new battle arrangement with Sam when we got back to the clearing. The first group would have Jared, Quil, Embry, Leah, Brady and Collin, and the second group would have Sam, Paul and me, the pack's best fighters; Bella's leech had shown us how to stave off an attack from several newborns at once.

With the pack setting up the final touches, I ran with Bella to our nearby spot. We would camp in a small clearing, so that I could join the fight quickly. Seth was coming for guard duty, in the morning.

The wind picked up as I built Bella's tent, so I worked faster. It had gotten dark, and she flew inside the sleeping bag to get warmer.

I was half asleep, laying on my paws in front of the tent, when I could finally hear the rattling, when the wind died down. At first, I thought it was an attack, but then I heard it from inside the tent. _Bella. _I thought. _That is her teeth chattering!_ I got up and shifted, quickly pulling on my shorts.

I stepped inside the tent and saw the sleeping bag moving, as thought it were having a seizure. "Scoot over Bella, you're gonna freeze to death." I laughed, my legs already in. Wow. It was a tight fit.

"J-j-j-jak, I'm-m-m f-f-fine." she gasped, her teeth sounding like they would break. Despite her protests, she latched onto me as soon as I was in.

I felt her kick off her boots, and I flinched as her toes pressed against my legs. The her icy lips came against my shoulder, making me flinch again. _How can she be so cold?_ I thought. "You know, Bella, there are other ways to warm up your lips." I laughed as she blew a raspberry into my shoulder, not speaking with her chattering teeth. _And there are other ways to get warm besides just sitting here. _I couldn't help thinking. I did manage to keep the accompanying images at bay though. _Don't be a pig, Jacob. _I scolded myself.

Her shaking finally slowed, so I asked, "Are you better now?"

"Yes, I'm better. Thank you." she said after a short pause. "Are your lips still cold?" I couldn't help asking. Her face was still in my shoulder, so I felt her smile. She didn't reply, so I said, "That's right, honey. Sleep now. When you wake up, you'll be sweating." I promised with a smile. Her breathing deepened shortly after that.

I felt like I couldn't have slept if I was given heavy narcotics. Here we were, trapped in an impossibly small sleeping bag, the girl I loved asleep in my arms. I felt like the luckiest man alive at this moment.

The pure joy slowly faded, letting me think again. Bella's thick coat annoyed me. If she didn't' have that on, their would be more space in here, but I couldn't decide if that were a good or bad thing. _If she didn't have it, I wouldn't have any excuse for being this close. _I thought. It wouldn't' have made much difference though. We would still have been cramped in here.

I could already feel Bella getting hot. _With that coat on, she's gonna overheat before morning. _That would have been bad.

Carefully, I pulled my arm in between us, a pulled the zipper down on her coat. Using my other hand, I pulled it off, gently maneuvering her arms out of the sleeves. I pushed the coat to the bottom, near her boots, to keep it warm by my feet.

_This is better._ I thought to myself. Her sweater was much more comfortable on my skin than the coat had been and she wouldn't overheat now.

I closed my eyes, still keeping Bella pressed tightly against me, and let sleep overcome my imagination.

I woke up with something wet on my shoulder, a light pressure as an accompaniment. I looked down, and saw Bella pulling her face from my shoulder. "Bella? What were you doing?" I asked, still in a sleepy daze. "It felt like you were sucking my shoulder." that would explain the wetness. "It looks like it too." I added, humor seeping into my voice. _Why would she be sucking my shoulder? _I wondered, as she replied, "You wouldn't wake up." her tone was icy as she continued. "I bit you as hard as I could because I couldn't move any other part of me." I just stared, then I exploded with laughter. "You were biting me?" I yelled, my shaking causing the whole sleeping bag to shudder and buck. "I thought you decided to see what I taste like! Not if you could eat me!" I continued to laugh as I thought about that image.

I became more sober when a bark from outside interrupted me. "What time is it?" I asked, a smile still breaking my face in half. "It's just after seven." she replied, obviously mad that her teeth had little to do with my waking.

That news brought my head down. I guess I'd better get going." I told her. I didn't want to leave her, but I wanted to go to the fight more. _Besides, Sam needs me. _I thought.

"You could stay here, you know, sleep a little longer." she said in a feeble attempt to make me stay.

I was working myself out of the sleeping bag as I responded. "No way, Sam would chew me out. Besides, why would I want to miss the greatest fight of all time?" I said, finally out. I opened the door, letting in pure sunlight. "Plus, it will be warm enough today, that a space heater won't be necessary." I said, turning back to her.

She was worrying. "Don't worry, Bella." I told her gently, taking her shoulders. "I'm gong to be fine." I reassured her.

"What about Collin and Brady?" she asked, her voice beginning to quiver.

"They're going to be fine, too, Bella." I said, moving closer so that she had to look at my face. "Wolves have natural instincts for killing vampires, and if what your bloodsucker said is true, it will be even easier than normal." I finished.

I bent in to kiss her gently, but my intentions went up in smoke as her arms came up to wrap around my neck.

A choking noise from Seth interrupted us, and we saw him bent over, pretending to throw up. I gave her another quick kiss, but this time pulled away before she could attack me again. "I'll be back soon." I promised, jogging into the forest.

As soon as I was beyond sight, I shifted, joining the others. _Jacob. _Sam's voice thought. _Get down here. There are less than ten minutes until they arrive._

_Yeah, we don't want to have to start with ought you. _Paul added.

_I'm coming. _I said, sprinting in their direction.

I arrived with minutes to spare, just listening to everyone's thoughts. _Crap!_ Jared suddenly thought. _Everyone! Group to Sam! They all followed the second trail! _His words were needless, as he forced the image of a large group of vampires all turning off the main trail.

_Help! _Seth shouted, the image of two other vampires chasing him and Bella.

_Collin! Brady! Go! _Sam ordered. I started too, but Sam stopped me. _You're needed here, Jacob. Those three can handle it._

I watched as Collin and Brady found Seth and turned to fight, but just then we were swarmed. All eighteen newborns flooded from the path, stopping at the sight of our large group. That pause was what we needed; We pounced before they could react, immediately crippling seven of them. Those seven were left for later as we turned to defend against the remainder. The Cullen's technique for handling several newborns at once worked like a charm. Two leeches jumped at me from opposite sides. Jumping around, I chomped onto one's arm and spun, ripping it off. The motion put it in the other's path, causing a collision, sending them both to the ground. Before it could recover, I had disconnected the whole newborn's head, tackling the other into a tree with the leftover momentum.

I tore off an arm and leg of the headless bloodsucker while the other recovered. I then threw the leg, smashing the armless vampire back into the same tree, breaking through this time.

I lunged after it, dancing around its dazed but quick movements. It swung at me and missed, embedding its hand in a tree. I jumped behind it and took off its head before breaking the rest of it. I then sprinted to help with unfinished skirmishes.

The whole violent scene lasted only minutes. We were just starting the fire when Seth's voice broke through everything. _She bit him. _his thought voice was shocked, quickly becoming silence as he became human.

We were there within seconds. Only Leah remained a wolf when we arrived, the one who could carry him home the fastest.

They came into view and we all jumped, landing around the four people, as humans. I put on my shorts as Sam carefully placed Collin on Leah's back, protecting his still-bleeding shoulder with Collin's shorts. I wrapped my arms around Bella as Leah sprinted aw, still faster than all but me.

"What happed?" I asked quietly. "We were all so busy fighting that we didn't even notice until Seth announced it. No one even remembers it happening."

"We'll have time for stories later." Sam interrupted. "Let's make sure he's okay first."I backed up to take my shorts off, the last one to shift. Bella jumped on my back, and we all turned to race after Leah.

We all arrived at Collin's house and quickly dressed. We were all gathered around Collin's bed, silent as we watched him sleep. A loud thump outside caused us all to jump. Jared came in then, limping on his right leg. "What happened?" a chorus of voices rang out, all staring at Jared. "A leech was trying to follow us here. I went back and took care of it before we got to town, but he banged me up pretty good." he explained quickly before asking, "How's Collin?"

"Except for his shoulder, he seems fine." Sam said quietly. Collin's shoulder had stopped bleeding, but it was still an angry, open wound. "He's just sleeping. Bella, tell us everything that happened." Sam said more firmly.

Bella explained how Victoria had separated Brady and Collin while Seth handled the other one. Victoria offering her foot so that she could bit him, when Collin took the bait. Everyone gasped and shook when Bella explained how she had sucked the venom out of Collin's shoulder.

"How did you know that would work?" Sam asked, trembling slightly. Bella held up the hand with her vampire scar as she spoke. "Remember last spring, when I went to Arizona? James, the vampire who tried to kill me, had bitten me." she paused briefly as she said his name, "Edward, sucked the venom out before it could do anything beyond burning my hand." everyone began trembling at the thought of the Cullen sucking her blood. Everyone but me; I had heard it before.

"It worked for me," she continued, "Why not for Collin?"

"Collin owes you his life, Bella." Sam said quietly, just as shocked as everyone else.

"No he doesn't." she protested. "All that would have happened is he would become a vampire. He would just have to get used to the smell."

"No." Sam said, his voice stronger. "Bella, vampire venom kills werewolves. It doesn't change them, like normal people. It's a death sentence." Bella shook as this reality sank in.

Collin let out a low moan, bringing everyone's eyes back to him. "Where am I?" he asked sleepily. "Guys? What happened? I just remember my shoulder being put in fire, Bella telling me to stop moving, then the fire got worse, but then it left. After that, I was here." his voice still tired as it searched for answers.

We all jumped on him, forgetting his shoulder. "Ow!" he cried out, reminding us. We all took turns explaining how Bella had saved him, and how the invasion was over.

To celebrate the victory, we were all, except Bella and I, going for a long run. Everyone was jumping out the door, pulling off shorts, while I walked with Bella and Collin.

Collin's form worried me. He was no longer big, like the rest of us. He looked almost exactly like a normal fifteen-year-old should. There was also the fact that his shoulder wasn't healing.

In front of the house, Collin fell forward to transform. Nothing happened. He fell to his knees, catching himself with his good arm. He jumped up and closed his eyes.

Sam changed back and asked, "What's the matter, Collin?" Collin's eyes opened wide with fear and confusion. "I… I can't…transform." he stuttered wildly. I closed my eyes, my fears confirmed; Collin was fine, but we had lost a pack member.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 22

Almost the best ending I could have wished for

Collin was the object of everyone's attention now, his size and injured shoulder held more meaning. "Collin," Bella said, stepping forward to touch his head. As her hand touched his face, her eyes closed, her head slowly shaking back and forth. "Less than one-hundred degrees." as she continued, she became quieter. "I think…I think he's…human." she said, almost silent at the end. "What did you say, Bella?" Collin asked, confirming his lack of wolf hearing.

"You're human, Collin." she replied, her voice hitching. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault!" she cried as she turned around. She ran, crashing into me. She threw her arms around my waist as mine slowly went around her shoulders.

Nobody moved. We just stared at Collin, now banging his good arm against the ground. His grunts and frustrated moans, with Bella's sobs, were the only sound.

The others began moving, so I lifted Bella up and ran to my house. She lifted her head when we sat down, my arms supporting her.

"I am so sorry, Jake." she choked out. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault." she moaned, burying into my chest. "Bella, sshh. It'll be okay, Bells." I said softly, but my voice cracked, giving my lie away.

_Of course it won__'__t be okay!_ I yelled silently. I continued to comfort her anyway. "At least Collin is _alive_. That is better than what could have happened. What would have happened, if you hadn't been there. If it weren't for you, Bella, he would have died." I finished. "If I hadn't been here, none of this would have happened in the first place!" she wailed, contradicting me.

"Bella," I said sternly. "This is Victoria's fault, not yours. You didn't ask for her to hunt you. She did that herself. The only thing you are responsible for, is _saving Collin__'__s life._" I had pulled her back to look at her, her shuddering sobs slowing. She met my eyes and held them, so I asked, "Are you okay now?"

"Yes." she replied, folding back into me. "Thank you, Jacob. I don't know how I would be ever deal with myself alone."

As we sat, we drifted off to sleep. It was not even noon, but we were both exhausted. It had been a busy day.

I woke up to something wet wiping against my chest. I jolted up, my latest dream coming back. I looked around quickly, my eyes spotting who I wanted. "Bella?" I asked, affirming that she was there. "Yeah, Jake. I'm not the boogeyman." she said, teasing me. It was good to see her happy after yesterday.

"Oh, yeah." I said. Then I remembered something really important, shocking me awake. "Bella, I know it may not be the best time, but I have something really important to ask you."

I got up and moved over to my small dresser. Opening a drawer, I pulled out the key item in my question. Keeping it hidden in my fist, I went back, kneeling beside her.

Taking her hand in mine, I locked onto her eyes, and held up my hand, my mother's wedding ring between my index finger and thumb. "Will you marry me, Bella?" I spoke the words very seriously, letting her know that I was serious. "I love you, and after yesterday, I realize how easy it would be to lose you. I never want that. Will you marry me?" I repeated.

_Please say yes, please say yes!_ I begged silently as she thought. She just stared in shock. "Bella?" I asked.

"Jake," she spluttered. "Jake, I-" she stopped again. I got onto the bed, sitting beside her. I waited as she sucked in several deep breaths. "Jacob," she started, "You are sixteen-"

"Don't give me that 'you're too young' crap, Bella!" I interrupted. _How can she think that? _I thought angrily. I didn't shake. _I am older than her in almost every way possible! _"Jake," she paused, drawing my attention back. "Don't interrupt me, okay? Let me finish. Now, you are sixteen, still in high school. I am going to college in a few months." she was talking like I was a child, slowly saying each word clearly. "You need to finish high school, Jake. You can't legally get married yet anyway."

"Bella, I don't need-"

"Jacob!" she snapped. This was getting old. She grabbed my hand gently, and closed it over the ring. "I will marry you, Jacob Black, but only after you finish high school. I will have some of college out of the way, and I will hopefully be able to settle."

I hadn't heard anything after 'I will marry you'. All of my anger had disappeared at those words. I didn't care about the conditions. "So, you will marry me?" I asked, my voiced cracking at the end.

"I will." she said. It barely escaped her lips. I tackled them, smothering her words. I was elated as I kissed her. I had never been happier in my whole life. I knew that for a fact. With this joy came a fire that burned away all else. There was no Collin, no Sam. There were never any vampires intent on our deaths. In this moment, the world could have blown up around me, and I would never have known. In this moment, there was only Bella, burning everything away; Bella, my bride-to-be.

_**END**_


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